


His Sunshine

by Sawamooora



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alpha Tendou Satori, Alpha Ushijima Wakatoshi, Angst, F/M, Farmer Tendou Satori, Farmer Ushijima Wakatoshi, Gender Roles, Haikyuu!! Omegaverse, Mail-order bride, Misogyny, Omega Reader, Omegaverse, Self-Indulgent, Western Setting, farming au, weird time skips
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:40:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25779844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sawamooora/pseuds/Sawamooora
Summary: Tired of the chaotic and questionable life his family leads, Ushijima Wakatoshi seeks out simplicity and solitude in the form of his late grandparent’s farm. Unfortunately, the farm needs a lot of work and Ushijima has no idea where to start. A strange partnership between outcasts has Ushijima quickly learning the skills needed to adapt to his new situation. Everything finally seems to be complete in Ushijima’s life – that is until his world is turned upside down by an irresistible scent and the letter that comes with it.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Tendou Satori/Ushijima Wakatoshi, Ushijima Wakatoshi/Reader
Comments: 12
Kudos: 46





	1. The Smell of Sunshine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/n:** Ever imagined what Ushi’s life as a farmer would be like?
> 
> This story is an extremely slow burn and has a heavy focus on the friendship between Ushijima, Tendō and of course, farming! Set in a ‘western’ farming environment.
> 
>  **W/c:** 7.0k
> 
>  **T/w:** Omegaverse, misogyny/gender roles, questionable angst, weird time skips 
> 
> **Read at your own discretion**

* * *

#### (A) Farmer!Ushijima x (O) Mail-Order Bride!Reader | Slice of Life | Omegaverse | 

_**Platonic!Ushijima x Tendō** _

* * *

Ushijima Wakatoshi considered himself to be a simple man. He didn’t require much to be happy - just the odd moment of tranquillity.

Unfortunately, with the life his family led, disorder and mayhem was just about the only thing he seemed to attract.

When news of his parent’s divorce became public, Ushijima’s already taxing life was thrown into a whirlwind of chaos. The near constant arguing, combined with a lack of privacy, overtook any semblance of peace he once had. Both the new and reoccurring issues only added to the long list of reasons urging him to leave. 

Unwilling to deal with the complications of his family, Ushijima sought out a simple life of solitude in the only haven he had left – his late grandparent's farm.

Ushijima liked to think of himself as a highly logical individual. He was always very straightforward and linear in thought. So naturally, to prepare for his departure, Ushijima studied the plants, wildlife, and overall basic survival techniques relevant to the farm's location.

As the heir to a renowned family, it wasn’t easy to sneak anything past the house staff. His family dealt in violence, information, and under the table business deals – employing only those who were equally involved, or had enough dirt on them to ensure their loyalty to the family.

Unfortunately for Ushijima, that meant he was always surrounded and monitored by questionable figures – whether it be a maid, butler, serving staff, or his personal security.

It doesn’t please him to admit it, but to get away with his preparations, Ushijima completely _abused_ his alpha status. Quite regularly, he’d force the staff into absolute submission. It wasn’t hard for Ushijima. He used everything from his natural biological advantage, all the way to blackmail and torture. At first it wasn’t intentional. Having been caught stashing non-perishables, Ushijima simply and calmly let the omega in question know _exactly_ what would happen to her, should his parents find out about his little activities.

From there, it was a slippery slope. Casual requests and offhand comments became threats and demands. Reassuring words became overwhelmingly dominant growls, and calming scents became laced with bitter and malicious intents.

Despite not yet being the head of the house, Ushijima’s alpha was leagues stronger than anyone else’s. It was in his nature to assert himself over the weak – and soon, he became obsessed with the power and dominance that came with his status. After all, it was what his parent’s legacy was built on. Those who wouldn’t listen to reason were shown exactly why he was the strongest.

Upon realizing just how this environment was changing him, Ushijima was even more determined to escape.

When his father demanded truthful updates on his son, the staff members had no choice but to lie in Ushijima’s favour. After all – hierarchy demands they follow the strongest.

To avoid suspicion, Ushijima kept up his regular involvement within the family business. His days consisted of everything from menial tasks, public appearances, physical training, and ‘special visits’ to the rivalling families. If he was really unlucky, his parents would set him up on courting dates. Effectively, this meant giving up countless nights of good sleep so that he could further his knowledge base.

At the time, he’d been so confident – almost debating whether he even needed to study. But upon seeing the current condition of his late grandparent’s home, Ushijima wished he’d studied more.

He expected that the farm would be a little beat up, rough around the edges… a handyman’s dream. It would understandably be a big difference in comparison to the well-kept mansions he was used to. But what he didn’t expect, was the absolute ruin he found in front of him. He’d come _completely,_ and _utterly,_ unprepared.

Ushijima remembered spending a summer here when he was 7. It was right before his parents disowned this side of the family. They simply weren’t ‘up to par’ with the family name. After all, how could his parents associate with such ‘unambitious’ people? There was nothing to strategically gain from them, so they were tossed aside.

That summer he spent with his grandparents held his fondest memories. Ushijima spent his days out front in the flower gardens pretending he was a fairy, or in the back ‘weeding’ the vegetable gardens. In reality – he was uprooting about half of everything – vegetables included. Ushijima couldn’t figure out why, but his grandma always came out flailing her arms when he tried to help.

Sometimes, he’d nap all day in the nearby orchard - waking only to fill himself up with fruit. No matter how many times his grandma scolded him, Ushijima couldn’t stop his constant snacking.

Most commonly though, his days were filled with games of legendary knights and dragons. Of course, he was the knight and the mean old pig was the dragon. The trickiest part was convincing a sheep to play the part of a noble steed.

Every evening was spent playing cards or board games with his grandparents, while a new recipe slowly cooked in the woodstove. The idea and practicality of such a simple lifestyle was everything Ushijima yearned for.

After a week of travel, with a host of stressful complications, Ushijima was looking forward to relaxing in his newfound sanctuary. However, upon seeing the state of the property, it takes all his strength to stop himself from giving up and going home.

Now, Instead of being filled with the scent of homemade cooking, all he can smell from the cabin is the stench of rot and moisture.

Physically, there’s a tree toppled through the cabin’s roof. Not only is it structurally unsound, but the building can no longer protect itself from the elements. It’s so overgrown with flora, that it warrants a very serious and contemplative pause. The structure, or what’s left of it, is deemed virtually useless.

In place of the once lovely gardens, a jungle of tall grass, bushes, and weeds run rampant.

The barn and the pens, however, are in the worst condition. The barn was never anything special to begin with, but now, it was nothing but a large pile of decaying wood. Nature had completely toppled it over and started slowly returning it to the earth.

The only evidence of the previous fence lines was the occasional posts sticking out of the ground at strange angles. Unsurprisingly, the fruit orchard was the only thing left unaffected.

At first, even just the thought of repairing the farm had been overwhelming.

The nearest village was _at best_ , an hour away on foot. It wasn’t like he _wanted_ to continuously journey back and forth. For days, Ushijima hauled up in the rotting cabin, trying to scavenge anything he could. But once his food and resources ran out, he had no choice, he was forced to seek help.

Ushijima, to this day, still feels nervous when he visits the town. He knew his parents would never suspect he’d be here, but the thought that someone might recognize him called for a healthy dose of paranoia. If word got back to his family, he could kiss his freedom goodbye.

The first trip into town had been the worst. His instant, default reaction, was to push his alpha scent into the surrounding area. It was suffocating.

He didn’t want any trouble, stay away – that was his meaning. And yet, all he managed to do, was start gossip and create trouble for himself.

By the second day of his arrival, the town was ripe with stories of the terrifying alpha within their midst. It didn’t help that the store clerk’s wife noticed he was left-handed. She reasoned that surely, this must mean he’s cursed. These rumours just so happened to attract the infamous village idiot and professional troublemaker – Tendō Satori.

Ushijima was strange – not in the conventional sense, but he certainly didn’t fit in with the town’s folk. Sure, he was quiet and kept to himself, but his permanent fierce expression, blunt conversation, and overwhelmingly oppressive aura, made it extremely uncomfortable for anyone to be around him for prolonged periods.

In simple terms, Ushijima was an apex alpha. An alpha among alphas. The village, being made up mostly of betas and omegas, simply couldn’t handle his presence. Even the other alphas found his presence overwhelming. As an outcast himself – Tendō was instantly drawn to him.

Initially, Ushijima was startled by the odd redhead’s behaviour. As an alpha himself, Tendō was loud, cocky and brash – something completely unacceptable in Ushijima’s past life. He ate like a slob, had virtually no manners, and gazed far too long at the respectable female omegas. Tendō was everything Ushijima would’ve once found repulsive. But... he was starting a new life... and as such, Ushijima tried not to judge him too harshly. He couldn’t deny that despite his appearance – and his outward personality – Tendō was _actually_ incredibly intelligent.

Over the years, Ushijima had seen Tendō barter down previously non-negotiable prices, manipulate countless situations, and “win” every single argument – even if he was wrong (which was most of the time). He simply wore down the other party until they gave in.

More importantly though, Tendō knew how to farm and survive in the wilderness. Ushijima witnessed this firsthand upon seeing Tendō march proudly into the butcher’s shop, ready to sell the large haul swung over his shoulder. It was what initially attracted him to the strange alpha.

Tendō was always getting in trouble. As such, he often found himself in tricky situations with the other alphas of the town – situations where he ended up owing large sums of money.

Coincidentally, one thing Ushijima had, was an abundance of money. From the way he acted, to the way he dressed; it was plain to see, Ushijima came from old money.

With this realization, a partnership, or rather a mutual agreement bloomed.

In exchange for his knowledge and expertise, Ushijima would pay the outstanding debts Tendō had procured. For Ushijima, it was like a drop in the bucket, but for Tendō, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

For the next year, Tendō dedicated himself to helping his newfound companion. Upon first seeing their new project, even Tendō had to admit, it was bad. But hey, for monthly money instalments, who was he to complain?

For the first few months, the two of them spent all their waking hours rebuilding the cabin. They found out quickly that it was too much work for just the pair, so Tendō enlisted the temporary help of some of his associates: Semi Eita, Shirabu Kenjirō and Goshiki Tsutomu. All the while, Ushijima stayed at Tendō’s home – just a 30 minute walk away, or 10-15 minute ride on horseback.

Once they finished the cabin, and all the others left, Tendō slowly started to teach Ushijima how to be more self-sufficient. He showed Ushijima how to hunt, skin, prepare, and then how to properly preserve the meat they collected. It’s safe to say that all of Ushijima’s studying was completely inapplicable and nothing like the real thing. The only thing that he could use was the knowledge he had related to scavenging – but that in itself, was far from enough to survive.

The next thing Tendō taught Ushijima was basic agriculture. Together they cultivated the best soil and the heartiest seeds, in hopes that with time, they could expand their small field.

As it was already fall, the variety of vegetables the two were able to plant was limited. They stuck to the basics; things Tendō assured Ushijima would do well in colder climates. All things considered, in the end, they received a good yield of carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, and radishes.

As winter approached, the two were just barely able to finish building up the exterior walls and the roof for the new barn. It wasn’t massive by any means, but it was enough.

The winter was spent separately now that Ushijima had a fixed home and a decent storage of dried meats, canned vegetables, and goods from the town. Ushijima couldn’t be happier. The stream of women coming in and out of Tendō’s residence was too much. On top of that, neither of them could stand to spend another rut under the same roof.

Both males preferred their solitude, rarely ever visiting one another – except when either needed help.

The following spring the two males were able to finish the interior walls for the small two-story barn. Soon after, under Tendō’s instruction, Ushijima was able to till and plant his new garden.

By the time summer rolled around, the pair built a series of new fence lines for the pastures and a large chicken coop.

With Tendō’s help – Ushijima obtained all his livestock at well below market price. How he did it, he’ll never fully understand.

After harvesting the crops that following season, Tendō had officially completed his end of the bargain. He taught Ushijima everything he knew – and was handsomely rewarded. Once Ushijima paid off the remainder of Tendō’s debts, he left him with a surplus of cash. It was his way of showing further appreciation. It was also Ushijima’s way of ensuring Tendō’s silence.

When the two had been working together, Tendō had _accidentally_ come across a document with his full name listed at the top: Ushijima Wakatoshi. Ushijima always, and only, introduced himself as Wakatoshi. It was simply too risky to reveal his identity. His face might not be, but his name was too well known. Tendō’s reaction just reinforced that idea. His mouth agape, Tendō couldn't even form words. Thankfully, the redhead alpha swore himself to secrecy. After all, he didn’t have a death wish.

For the most part, the two alphas parted ways. The only time they saw each other was in passing or when Ushijima was forced to join in community events. Occasionally, they might even have a meal together. Fortunately for Ushijima, this was seldom.

Ushijima happily settled into his new lifestyle.

On his own, he spent time tweaking the inner workings of his farm. As time passed, he was able to build a large workshop/tool-shed, a bunch of wood storage, and quite a few hunting blinds. He was even able to repair the nearby water pump. Ushijima finally had everything he’d wanted – and yet he felt something was missing.

It started as a sharp pain in his chest, but over time, it grew to be a dull, constant ache. Seeing mated pairs, especially with pups, always caused his chest to act up. But Ushijima just wasn’t compatible with omegas. They wanted too much; things he couldn’t give them. They had this idolized idea of what he was and what being mated to an apex alpha looked like. They expected power and extravagance. And while he certainly had power, Ushijima was no longer one to flaunt it. All he could offer now was a simple lifestyle of modest comfort.

For better or for worse, the alpha eventually stopped noticing the way his heart would clench and ignored the way his alpha yearned for their other half. Thankfully, His lifestyle didn’t allow him to dwell – except for the occasional hour before bed.

Above all else, Ushijima values productivity and efficiency. He hates the feeling of not knowing what he’s going to do next, and to compensate, he makes sure every day is filled with structure, routine, and purpose. He simply doesn’t have time to waste.

There’s always something that needs to be done; always something that demands his attention. A stray sheep, rebel chickens, a horse with a missing shoe, cats picking fights with raccoons, and not to mention all the daily upkeep of the farm. By the time his affairs are sorted, he barely has any energy to make himself food. Often, he finds himself passing out at the dining room table. He’d never admit it out loud, but running the household alone was proving to be a large strain on the alpha. Even so, Ushijima’s days always left him filled with a sense of satisfaction and a meaningful purpose.

If you were to speak to anyone in the nearby town, they’d describe Ushijima as cold, distant, and rough around the edges. The truth is that he is all those things, but it’s because he values blunt, straight to the point conversations. It’s something that just doesn’t sit well with the omegas that run the town’s ~~gossip~~ information circles. He doesn’t particularly care for the townsfolk, and they certainly don’t care for him. So why is it that Ushijima finds himself forced to socialize with the community? Two words.

Mandatory Meetings.

These meetings always have Ushijima grumbling in distaste. In his mind, he isn’t even part of the community. After all, he lives so far away – way beyond what he’d consider to be within community boundaries. Why should he care what they get up to? Why should they even care about his input? Ushijima has wracked his brain for years, and yet, he can’t for the life of him come up with an answer. It’s not like he talks to anyone past basic pleasantries. If anything, they all breathe a sigh of relief when he leaves.

And yet, here he is, waking up well before dawn, just so that he can make it on time. With a reluctant groan, Ushijima slowly rises from his bed, throwing on a pair of overalls and a plaid shirt. Ushijima lights the small lantern by his bed and takes it with him to feed, care for and let his livestock out into the paddocks. He double-checks that everything is in order, gathering eggs, milking the cows and spending a good amount of time examining the gates’ integrity before quickly returning inside to get ready.

Ushijima makes himself a couple of eggs before quickly refreshing himself and changing into something slightly more presentable. He settles on a white cotton shirt and a pair of dark brown slacks. By the time he’s out the door, it’s just past dawn. Ushijima quickly grooms and tacks his trusty horse, Hinata, before he takes off.

Initially, this chestnut had driven him crazy. Typical of any stallion, this horse was wild. He had a mind of his own and a boldness that couldn’t be broken. Over the years the two of them developed a respect for one another and thankfully, a good relationship. But it certainly hadn’t been easy.

The trek down the mountain is relatively uneventful – well, as much you’d expect with Hinata. Hinata was excited about the change of scenery, often spooking at the squirrels that dashed across his path and whinnying to all the people they happened across. Hinata’s the kind of horse most farmers would cull. His skittish and erratic nature just wasn’t worth the trouble – which is how Ushijima was able to get him practically for free.

The biggest problem now was leaving Hinata out in town. Ushijima sometimes forgets how wild his horse can become. Hinata is naturally a very friendly horse, but because of his loud whinnies, fast movements, and overall big personality, people mistake his friendliness as aggression. Sensing the hostility, Hinata reacts in kind. Ushijima has received quite a few complaints and in response. Now, instead of being tied up outside with the rest of the horses, Hinata spends his days cooped up in a nearby stable. Thankfully, Tendō often leaves his horse Kageyama in the same barn to keep him company.

Much like Hinata, Kageyama was sold way below marketplace value due to his self-serving, barn sour behaviour. The stallion was exactly like Hinata, apart from his cold personality and of course, his black coat.

Ushijima had only been in town for 10 minutes before the gossip started. Usually, he lets it slide. Maybe it’s because he didn’t get enough sleep, but the alpha raises his lip in an act of aggression, letting out a warning snarl to those who stare a little too long.

After that, no one says a word to Ushijima. Not even a single glance comes his way. Upon entering the town hall, Ushijima is left sitting alone at the back of the conference room – not that he minds.

The meeting starts shortly after Tendō takes his seat next to him. After a few minutes, Ushijima has to admit, it seems like this gathering might be worth listening too. The biggest topic on the roster today? Fertilizers. Ushijima can’t contain his excitement. Sensing the apex alphas attention, the omega speaker shakes like a leaf. Before Ushijima can even react, Tendō forcefully elbows him in the gut. Completely oblivious to the situation, Ushijima was scolded for stressing out the omega with his intense staring.

Ushijima, unsuccessfully, tries to tone down his presence - but this omega was discussing the newest, most successful kinds of fertilizer. This was ground-breaking stuff!

When the speaker exits, Ushijima makes sure to follow him back to his seat with his eyes. He’s going to have to track him down for more information after the meeting.

Tendō has a feeling that Ushijima’s actions caused the speaker to exit early. Witnessing these uncomfortable interactions, Tendō knows he has to watch over Ushijima. It wouldn’t take much for him to inadvertently cause this poor omega to suffer some sort of heart palpitation.

The next few topics also manage to capture Ushijima’s interest. The different speakers talk about recent wildlife attacks, the few sudden deaths of farmers’ livestock, and the latest farming tools coming to the co-op. It seems like for once, they were able to hold a truly informative meeting.

As if jinxing himself, the next speaker to take the stage is a small omega that Ushijima instantly recognizes – Mei Chiharu. Ushijima had the unfortunate ‘pleasure’ of sharing a cabin with Tendō and Mei during one of the redhead’s ruts. To say Ushijima was uninterested when the two of them invited him into their bedroom, was a _severe_ understatement.

Somehow, after that event, Ushijima became a target for Mei’s attention. To say she was an aggressive omega did her no justice. If not for her scent, he would’ve been sure she was at least a beta. Now, here she is, on stage, leading the town's monthly gossip column. The hot topic was the agricultural fair a month from now. More specifically – the courting ball they decided to host afterwards.

The agricultural fair isn’t so bad itself. The women hold baking, knitting, and sewing competitions while the males peacock around their latest farm tools, most prized crops, and livestock. In its essence, the fair was just a way to celebrate farming and a successful harvest.

This year, however, the omegas somehow got together and convinced the mayor that it was not only in his best interest to host this ridiculous ball, but to combine it with the fair.

The smirk on Mei’s face, and the attempt at bedroom eyes, just makes Ushijima shiver in distaste. Tendō just grins and chuckles beside him.

For the rest of the meeting, Ushijima completely tunes out. He has no desire to know about who had a pup and which pairs finally decided to mate. If it were important, he’s sure Tendō would tell him eventually.

Ushijima couldn’t be more relieved when the meeting is finally over. Quickly, he tries to hunt down that fertilizer omega – but it’s no use. He’s nowhere to be found.

Mei on the other hand won’t leave Ushijima and Tendō alone. _Waka-kun this, Waka-kun that._ Despite all her attempts to get him to talk, Ushijima just sits silently as the three of them eat at the local tavern. If this is what having an omega was like, Ushijima would never take up a mate.

Tendō on the other hand can’t wait to find a mate – despite his hypocritical actions. And Mei? Well, she’s already decided that she and ‘Waka-kun’ are a mated pair.

After their meal, Mei had something to do – Ushijima couldn’t remember what it was and couldn’t care less. Before heading home, the pair of alphas decided to stop by the co-op to pick up things they were running low on and materials that they couldn’t find at home.

Ushijima picks up some nails, flour, soap, and some sweet treats. Of course, he can’t help but look at the brand-new gardening tools with a gleam in his eyes – but he couldn’t justify purchasing something new when his tools work just fine.

Once he’s checked out, Ushijima waits over by the bulletin board. He can’t explain why, but he just loves reading the advertisements posted there.

A few minutes pass before Ushijima starts to wonder where his friend is. A few more minutes go by before impatience has Ushijima leaving his reading material to seek out his missing companion. He silently prays that Tendō isn’t causing more trouble again.

Ushijima almost expects to find Tendō in a fistfight, or flirting up the shop owner’s daughter. What he doesn’t expect is to see Tendō reading the back-door bulletin board. Curious to see what he’s reading, Ushijima doesn’t call out for his friend, instead he just comes behind him to check it out.

Taking a closer look, Ushijima realizes these are letters. Not just any letters though, they’re from omegas’ searching for their mates.

“Ahh Waka-chan, you caught me,” Tendō says playfully. “I just can’t help myself~.”

Ushijima says nothing just stares at Tendō as he takes down the names and addresses of the various letters. Sensing Ushijima’s stare, Tendō responds.

“What? I’m just playing the game. You know how these omegas are – so fickle! I need to make sure that I have a backup in case my top choice doesn’t work out – or two~.”

Ushijima doesn’t comment. He just stands there with his signature fierce expression plastered to his face. Tendō dubs it his “resting bitch face”.

Ushijima had no immediate interest in taking a mate. Omega’s were needy creatures. He barely had time to tend to all his own needs, let alone that of an Omega. He’d seen this neediness in his mother, and then in Mei – it was just something he swore to avoid at all costs.

That’s why when the back door opens Ushijima can’t piece together what he’s doing. Suddenly his feet are moving on their own. The next thing he knows, his face is practically pushed to the bulletin board searching for the irresistible scent he caught from the door's gust of air.

The audible sniffing has Tendō blushing almost as red as his hair. With a glance around the shop, it’s clear that all the other patrons have also noticed Ushijima’s strange behaviour.

“H-hey Wakatoshi. What do you think you're doing?” Tendō questions in a harsh whisper.

Ushijima doesn’t respond. He sees absolutely nothing wrong with what’s happening here. He doesn’t have time to respond to every letter like Tendō. He’s caught a scent he likes, and this was the fastest way to find it. The scent is so faint – if not for his strong alpha senses, he’s sure he would’ve missed it. This task requires all his attention, but it pays off, because within seconds, he has it.

The letter isn’t anything special. It’s not written on a fancy stationery like the other’s, and the writing isn’t particularly beautiful – not that he’s one to talk. It’s plain, straightforward, and seemingly simple in nature. What initially attracted Ushijima was the scent of a refreshing breeze on a hot summer day. It was exactly what Ushijima imagines summer and sunshine would be like. Does that even make sense? Can someone smell like sunshine? Ushijima doesn’t know and he certainly doesn’t care for the answer. He only cares that he’s found the source.

More important though, is the words that this piece of paper holds. Ushijima is no stranger to mail-order brides. He’s read countless letters and even courted a few before realizing it just wasn’t going to work out. Each letter he received was demanding and filled with hints of greed. The omega’s wanted a strong alpha with a social status and influence. Often, they dreamed of living in an urban setting. They wanted to run a hair salon, become a tailor, or open a floral shop. All of these were fine, just not compatible with what Ushijima was looking for.

Upon quickly scanning the letter scented with sunshine, Ushijima realizes this one is special. Without a second thought, Ushijima rips it off the board and walks out.

Tendō can’t even fathom what just happened. This was not how mail-order brides worked – _at all_. You weren’t supposed to steal the letter. You were simply just supposed to take down the name and address from it – _maybe_ a few notes so you wouldn’t forget what to write. That’s the maximum extent. An omega was supposed to be able to choose from multiple mates – but by taking her letter, Ushijima essentially robbed her of choice. Honestly, the enabler in Tendō is feeling like a proud dad. His little boy is finally becoming more like him. But the ‘responsible adult’ and alpha in him knows he should at least try to get Ushijima to see reason.

After a moment's lag, Tendō rushes after his friend.

“Hey!” he loudly whispers under his breath, finally catching up. “You can’t do that!”

Ushijima just stops and throws an over the shoulder glance at Tendō, the fierce expression never leaving his face.

“But I just did.” He responds before continuing his walk to the stable, swinging his messenger bag full of goodies over his shoulder.

“You really don’t see the problem here?” Tendō says in disbelief. 

Without pause, Ushijima answers back with a resounding “no.”

Tendō just throws his head back and lets out an exasperated groan before following the oblivious alpha. There’s no way he was going to win this.

Ushijima sees no problem in taking the letter. For all intents and purposes, this was his omega. It’s a funny thing how the mind can change with just a chance interaction – with a piece of paper no less. Suddenly, having an omega became a real possibility in his life. The thought makes his lips quirk upwards in a motion so slight anyone else would’ve brushed it off as the wind tickling his face. But Tendō saw through Ushijima – that was the first ‘smile’ he’d ever seen grace his face.

“Oya~? What’s this? A smile?” Tendō smirks.

In a typical Ushijima-like fashion, he says nothing. That’s okay though, Tendō’s got more than his fill of satisfaction.

Ushijima spends the whole trip back up the mountains tuning out Tendō – he can’t seem to stop thinking about his little sunshine omega. Uncharacteristically, he’s so caught up in his thoughts that he doesn’t even notice when Tendō breaks away and heads towards his own cabin. He only comes too when Hinata restlessly nickers for his missing friend.

Once home, Ushijima’s instincts drive him to try and complete his chores in record speed. It’s like a tornado whipping through the farm. His motions are forceful and with purpose. His alpha can’t wait to learn more about the owner of such an alluring scent. However, his excitement translates more like aggression to the barnyard animals. They’re understandable afraid of the change in their normally calm alpha.

Ironically, it takes Ushijima twice as long to complete all his tasks. For some unknown reason to Ushijima, the animals kept running away - refusing to come to him. This only serves to further irritate the already impatient alpha. His normal scent of pine and leather unintentionally starts taking on a burnt quality. The animals, sensing their alphas anger, were now even more reluctant to approach him. Needless to say, it was a vicious cycle.

When he finally finished the farm chores, it was an hour or so before nightfall. Ushijima couldn’t wait any longer and pulled the letter out of his messenger bag. He must’ve read it at least half a dozen times.

_To whomever it may concern,_

_I’m sorry if this letter is far from refined… I’m not quite sure how to do this and I’m very nervous. My name is y/n. I’m from a little town near Providence – an area known for its constant rain. I’m an omega who only really dreams of the sunshine. I’ve seen 19 full summers, 20 once this summer passes._

_My main interests lie in gardening and knitting. I love to keep my days busy by looking for opportunities to be useful around the home and community. Although, I must admit, I’m quite partial to a lazy day curled up with my mate - and a good book._

_As a mate, I’m quite accomplished in the kitchen. Most of my many years have been spent cooking and baking for a large family. As mentioned before, I love the knit so your hands and feet will always be warm. I’m quite a capable sewer and will be able to make and mend all your clothes._

_For my ideal mate, I have no preference of a second gender. If my mate can provide a stable and safe den for me and any of our potential pups, I’ll be content. I’m looking for a comfortable lifestyle without abundance, just enough to not worry about payments and always have a full stomach._

_Sincerely,_

_y/n_

Everything in Ushijima begged him to respond, but he just couldn’t find the right words. He hadn’t been sure about the idea of a mate – even with the alluring scent of this omega. He knew he was acting off instinct earlier when he took it, but the words in this letter added logic and reasoning behind instinct. The things y/n asked for were simple. Unlike his mother and Mei, he saw no mentions of jewelry, big estates, or any other shallow, material, or surface-level request. It was true that she did have demands, but she was willing to give back in exchange for safety and comfort. It may seem condescending, but Ushijima was glad this omega didn’t have any big dreams – just the drive to help her mate. Ushijima couldn’t help but admit, it would be nice to have an extra set of hands around the house.

Writing back should’ve been easy, but instead, Ushijima sat for hours that night just staring into nothing. Everything he thought up, and everything he wrote down just didn't come off right – he didn’t know how to properly portray himself. This is the one time he wishes he weren’t so blunt. He knew his personality scared away potential mates; he’d seen it happen first-hand many times. Omega’s were soft-spoken sweet creatures. He had to tread carefully. But how?

Ushijima pondered this question for the next few days. Each night, he returned to the daunting process. Try as he might – he wasn’t making any progress. All he accomplished was a waste bin full of failed attempts.

Having run out of paper, Ushijima is forced to make a trip back into town to restock.

Choosing his stationary is easy. He always picks the cheapest, most plain one. It’s when he comes across a book stand that he’s caught at a loss. Seeing the books, Ushijima is reminded of his omegas love for literature. The only issue is, he has no idea what type of books she likes. There’s just way too many choices. What if he chose the wrong one?

With a glance around the store, Ushijima spots a lone female omega one aisle over.

“Omega” He called out. The omega stopped reading the bag of flour she had, almost dropping it out of her hands. On instinct, she releases a chirp of distress. Not wanting to attract the wrong kinds of attention, Ushijima instantly apologizes, releasing a calming scent and softening his tone, effectively de-escalating the situation.

“S-sorry. Please, tell me the best book to buy an omega.” Skeptical, the omega didn’t want to help, but seeing the clueless look plastered across the normally stoic alpha’s face convinces her otherwise. She was a good friend of Mei’s, so naturally, thinking this was a present for her, the omega chose the newest, smuttiest novel she could, and handed it to the alpha.

“Here.” She says before turning on her heels. The novel itself looked innocent, but just a few pages in could have any alpha blushing up a storm.

Ushijima’s plans of sneaking in and out of town unnoticed are quickly squashed when Satori spots him from the window of the local Ale House.

It wasn’t common to see Ushijima in town, so naturally, Satori’s interest peaked.

“Waka-chan, fancy seeing you here. Watch got there~?” He playfully jabs pointing at the parcel sticking out of Ushijima’s bag.

“Paper. And a book.” The response is short and leaves Tendō with more questions than answers. Before Ushijima can start walking off again Satori steps in front of him. “What for?” he asks, quirking an eyebrow.

“I’m writing a letter.”

“A letter?” Tendō suddenly feels stupid as a look of realization plasters itself on his face. How could he forget? This must be about that mail-order bride. To think, Ushijima was actually interested… Ushijima just nods.

Again, Tendō steps in front of Ushijima before he can walk away. “This is for that omega, from the co-op.” He says it more as a statement than a question. “How come you haven’t written to her yet?”

“I tried,” Ushijima says with a straight face.

“And???!” Tendō says exasperatedly waving his hands.

Ushijima just shrugs. “I don’t know what to say to her.”

“What do you mean??? Just respond to the letter – whatever comes to mind. Tell her about yourself!” Tendō continues flailing his arms dramatically trying to illustrate his ideas.

“It just doesn’t come out right.”

Ushijima was tired of this conversation. Thinking Tendō would get the hint, Ushijima pushes past the redhead. Tendō, in fact, does not catch the hint. Instead, he continues trailing after the alpha.

“Doesn’t come out right? Are you afraid of being too blunt? Because that’s who you are and -”

Ushijima stops in his tracks and turns to face Tendō, who seconds earlier, almost collided with his back.

There’s a moment of silence before Ushijima speaks up “and?”

“And you can’t change who you are?? Do you expect to keep up the act forever? What about when she comes here.” It’s out of character for Tendō to speak like this. It almost makes him sound wise. “It’ll all just be a huge disappointment for her, y’know~. Poor Waka chan, you’ll forever be alone if you continue like this~.” 

Ah yes, There it is. Typical Tendō’s. At least Ushijima knows that his friend is, in fact, **not** having a stroke.

Ushijima contemplates Tendō’s previous words, oddly finding truth behind them. Tendō tries to keep talking.

“I already sent all my letters; I’ve asked all of the omegas to come to the courting ball and -”

Ushijima’s completely tuned out, having heard all he needs. Whether or not Tendō follows and keeps talking, Ushijima can’t be sure. He’s too preoccupied with the goal of finally writing to his sunshine omega.

Arriving at home, the first thing Ushijima does after putting Hinata away is pick flowers from the garden out front. He chooses only the ones in perfect condition, ones that he thinks would compliment his omegas scent. Once he has a satisfying collection, Ushijima presses them into the new book he bought. For the rest of the day, Ushijima happily works in the vegetable gardens out back.

Come nighttime, Ushijima sits at his desk crafting his first words to his mate. That evening, he reads and re-reads the letter he’s composed more times than he can count.

_Omega,_

_I saw your letter in the co-op and was instantly taken by you._

_I can assure you that while there may be some rainy days, the region I’m from is known for its long and sunny summers._

_I’m an alpha of 25 summers who leads a solitary, simple life._

_As a mate, I can provide you with a modest residence up in the mountains. Most days I’ll work on the small farm where we will live. Occasionally, I’ll work as a local contractor or hunter._

_I’ll only be around for lunch and in the evenings. Your days will be your own, but I expect you to have lunch and dinner ready for me. It’s also expected that you keep the house and domestic affairs in order. Some additional farm tasks will be assigned to you upon arrival and settling in – should you choose to come._

_Based on your letter, I am confident that these are all things you can handle._

_I would like permission to scent something for you if you deem it appropriate. For now, based on your interests, I’ve sent you a book and some flowers from my garden._

_Best Regards_

He won’t lie, it’s not exactly delicate and he doesn’t include his name – in fear that it will somehow reach his relatives. However, it’s an accurate representation of who he is and what he expects from his mate.

With that in mind, Ushijima can’t help but indulge the slight tug at his lips. If Tendō were here, he’d surely have a quite a few teasing words for the apex alpha. After all, he was getting so worked up over a letter. But Ushijima can’t help it. Barely any time has past and he’s already started to envision his perfect life with his sunshine omega.

Ushijima slips the letter and the book into a parcel bag that he bought earlier before getting ready to go to bed. Making sure everything is in order, Ushijima finally allows himself to relax. He reasons that he has nothing to worry about. The hard part, writing the letter, is over and done with. Soon enough, he’ll have his omega by his side.

Settling into bed, Ushijima is content. It may just be his imagination, or even hopeful thinking, but as his eyes slowly start to droop, he swears he’s surrounded by the smell of sunshine. The scent gently lulls him into a peaceful, deep sleep, filled with dreams of a warm summer day and a soft breeze. In these dreams, he lays out in a meadow basking in the sunshine with his mate curled up tightly beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you made it this far... Thank you SO MUCH for reading. You make my heart go ~(UwU)/ x1000. This was my first fic - I know it’s rough, and I struggled a lot with deciding whether or not I should post it... but here it is - and I hope you enjoyed it regardless. I know this chapter didn’t have a lot of romance, but there’s more to come in the next chapters - I promise. 
> 
> Any feedback is always appreciated. 🥺
> 
> See you in the next one 💕
> 
>  **Side note:** Come follow me on tumblr if you want :)! @sawamooora


	2. The Presence of Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Ushijima waits on a response to his letter, no matter how hard he tries, he can’t escape the smell of sunshine. It haunts every aspect of his life, catching him off guard at every turn. His conscious and unconscious thoughts – even his dreams are no longer his own. They all belong to the sunshine omega. As time passes, Ushijima becomes more and more convinced he’s losing his mind. When he finally receives a response, he’s forced to make a tough decision. After all, you can’t always get what you want – right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/n:** Ever imagined what Ushi’s life as a farmer would be like?
> 
> The second Installment to farmer Ushi’s adventures. Another slow-burn chapter 🐌 set in a ‘western’ farming environment.
> 
>  **T/w:** Omegaverse, misogyny/gender roles, questionable angst, obsession, weird time skips, sexual references at the end, possessive, obsessive and delusional behaviour. Slight mention of non-con scenario.
> 
>  **Rating:** 18+ / M (near the end)
> 
> **Read at your own discretion**

* * *

#### (A) Farmer!Ushijima x (O) Mail-Order Bride!Reader | Slice of Life | Omegaverse |

_**Platonic!Ushijima x Tendō** _

**Chapter Two**

**W/c:** 6.6k

* * *

For the second day in a row, and the third time in a month, Ushijima returns to town. To say the townsfolk are shocked, is a severe understatement. It’s almost impossible to convince the alpha to come into town for their mandatory meetings, let alone, for seemingly no reason at all. 

So when the reason is revealed, and Ushijima enters the post office with a parcel addressed to a female – you can bet that everyone in town will know of this by noon.

Ushijima’s now regular visits into civilization never get any easier on the townsfolk. His presence seemingly puts the whole community in a state of unrest. As soon as he enters a common space, everyone holds their breath. Anxiously, they wait for him to give a nod, signalling his permission for them to return to their previous activities. The problem is that most of the time, that nod never comes. 

It’s a hot topic in town – whether he does this on purpose or genuinely by accident. Regardless, the results are the same. 

Time and again, Ushijima refuses to acknowledge the townsfolk in any way. Not a nod, not a glance, not even a lift of his lip. The townsfolk do nothing. They don’t talk, they don’t blink, they barely even breathe. They just apprehensively wait until he leaves.

Every other day, like clockwork, Ushijima rides into town. He tries to come right before the post office closes to minimize the possibility of casual conversation. Although, unknown to Ushijima, the only reason he makes it ‘on time’ is because a worker keeps the store open past hours for him. After all, no one could resist the allure and the possibility of exposing the reclusive alpha’s private life. 

Ushijima wastes no time, always walking with purpose and a hopeful gleam in his eye. He only has one objective – to get in and out of the post office as fast as possible, with a letter from his omega safely tucked in his bag. 

Each and every time, he leaves empty-handed. With a slight hunch to his spine, he vows that he won’t give up. 

_He can’t._

The smell of sunshine haunts his every action.

Slowly, the soft scent has managed to weave its way over every bump - into every crack, every crevice, and every aspect of Ushijima’s life.

The scent lingers in the fields of crops that he cares for, in the woods he likes to hunt in, and even in his nauseating town. Much to his dismay, the scent continues to follow him into his home, where he desperately searches for some form of reprieve.

No matter what he does, from lighting an obscene number of scented candles, to purposely burning his food, it’s all done in vain. Regardless of how much time he spends trying to sabotage his nose – and despite how long he spends cleaning away manure, or even scrubbing the house with scent blocker – he can’t escape the smell of his omega.

At first, he attributed the overwhelming scent to an oversensitive nose and the physical presence of the sun. But as time progressed, it became more and more apparent that Ushijima was just grasping at straws. He was just trying to hide the fact that he’d become obsessed, and arguably delusional, over an omega he’s never even met before.

But there’s no more room left to fool himself.

Even now, in the dead of night, he can’t help but smell sunshine. He knows it’s impossible, the sun is long gone – but that doesn’t change the fact that he still does. He swears that he can even smell the soft scent during raging thunderstorms.

It’s the reason why Ushijima is driven to ‘insanity’. He prides himself on his logical thinking and rational approaches, and yet, somehow, he can’t stop his nose from picking up on the telltale hints of sunshine – no matter how illogical it may be. He hates things that don’t make sense, almost as much as he hates not knowing what to do next. This situation has him facing both problems at once. He can’t make sense of what's happening to him. He’s tried everything he can think of to rid himself of this troubling unknown – all for nothing.

This perfect scent quickly becomes the perfect prison. Ushijima can no longer think straight. He’s trapped inside his mind - a mind that only wants one thing.

His once independent thoughts are no longer his own. They’re always filled with the idea of his sunshine, his perfect mate. He can’t help the way his subconscious always drifts to her when he’s trying to concentrate. He thinks of her in all his spare time, and even now, in his dreams.

If he can’t get away, he might as well embrace it. That’s his reasoning – it’s what drives him to keep coming back to the post office, day after day.

Despite their original distaste, some of the villagers have grown to feel sorry for the apex alpha. Never before had they seen such emotion or ‘weakness’ in him. Many just wished him happiness. Mei on the other hand couldn’t be happier as she revelled in his misery.

It’s been two weeks since Ushijima sent his letter. Providence wasn’t very far from the town Ushijima lived in, so he knew that his omega should’ve received it and had plenty of time to write him back by now. With each passing day, and each trip to town, the alpha’s heart drops.

He swears that today is the last time he’ll check – but he always says that.

This time though, he can already tell it’s going to be different. Upon entering the town, there’s an abnormal amount of mumbling and glances thrown his way. Lifting a lip silences the onlookers easily enough, but he can’t help but feel irritated that he even needed to do that.

When he arrives at the post office, the beta worker has a large grin on his face. Before Ushijima is even able to ask if anything’s arrived for him, the beta happily hands him a letter with his name scrawled across the front.

Ushijima just nods in thanks and takes the letter with a straight face. Inside he’s bubbling with excitement. Unable to wait, Ushijima grabs a table in the back corner of the Ale House he and Tendō frequent. It’s a little busier than normal, but the patrons are drunk enough that no one pays him any mind.

Ushijima slowly and carefully opens the letter to make sure he doesn’t damage it. Admittedly, he’s a bit disappointed upon not finding a small scented item from the omega, but he understands. Scenting items usually only comes after weeks of constant communication. Ushijima settles for thoroughly sniffing the heavenly parchment before he decides it's time to read the contents.

_To the alpha,_

_At first, I wasn’t sure how to respond to you. I debated not writing back, but I thought that would be cruel._

_It made me happy to know that you liked my scent – I’m impressed you could still smell it on the letter. I can’t help but wonder what I smell like to you. Everyone always tells me something different._

_I would like to thank you for the letter and the gifts. The pressed flowers were very thoughtful, and the choice of literature was… interesting._

_I, however, will not be coming to stay with you as my parents have suddenly arranged a match for me._

_I wish you all the best of luck in finding your omega._

_Sincerely,_

_Y/n._

With those perfectly scrawled words, Ushijima feels his heart drop. Even though he knew they’d never met, he considered this omega to be his. In a matter of weeks, she’d become such a huge part of his life. His obsession. 

Facing this rejection, even over a letter, crushes his spirits. He doesn’t even know what she looks like, but he knows that she’s perfect. Picturing her in another man’s arms has him subconsciously furrowing his brows and scowling at the offending paper.

(Ushijima also pondered what was so “interesting” in that book…)

As if sensing the internal turmoil from his best friend, like a magnet, Tendō coincidentally strolls into the Ale House. Spotting the brooding alpha, Tendō plops himself in the seat across from his friend.

If not for the exasperated look on his face, or the strong scent of burnt leather, then the white-knuckle grip on the paper in his hands would’ve been a dead giveaway to just how upset his friend was.

Without asking, Tendō leans around to read the letter, frowning as he absorbs the content.

Tendō pats Ushijima on the back and signals the host to bring a round of drinks to their table. The rest of the evening is spent with Tendō sharing stories of his latest escapades and Ushijima silently listening. Maybe it’s the 3rd glass of ale talking, but Ushijima surprisingly finds himself somewhat interested in his friend’s stories.

As he listens and sips his drink, Ushijima can’t help the fleeting thoughts that run through his mind. He wishes he were more like Tendō. He was a free spirit filled with a carefree and reckless personality. Ushijima was stiff, blunt, and bad at properly expressing himself. Without the money or status from his previous life – he realizes that he really doesn't have anything to attract a mate. No parent would ever consider him a viable match for their daughter. He used to love his simple, uneventful, and low maintenance life – but this loss has him rethinking his standing in society.

He knew the omega didn’t ask for it, but he couldn’t help but think that maybe if he’d included a more precious trinket, some jewelry Mei or his mom would’ve liked, than his omega might have accepted and chosen to run away with him. She would’ve seen him as more of a provider – with more than enough money to support her.

But he hadn’t done that, and she hadn’t come to him. She only just wrote him back – out of pity. So, what now? What’s left?

He could try to hunt her down. The gods know he’d fight off anyone for her – but causing such a ruckus would surely reveal his identity. In which case, he’d just be separated from her anyways. 

When he voices his concerns to Tendō, the only advice he receives is to get over his female with another omega. It always ‘worked’ for him. Tendō can’t help but tease his friend, he thinks it’ll help him to loosen up.

On a serious note, Tendō tells Ushijima to wait.

“Attend the courting ball. Take it seriously. If you still feel the same way about your omega once that’s passed, go after her then.”

Ushijima just responds with a tsk of his tongue and a pointed glare. Tendō clearly doesn’t understand the severity of the situation – he was going crazy without her.

It was hard to take Tendō seriously, this was one of the rare times he actually made sense. That in itself called for a serious, contemplative pause. Surprisingly, after a few days to think it over, Ushijima decides to heed his friend’s advice.

For the next two weeks, Ushijima pushes himself harder than he ever has before. He spends most of his days harvesting crops from both his, and his employer’s farms. Any spare time he has, is filled with collecting lumber and firewood for future projects and winter stores. Each day has him exhausted and achy in places he didn’t even know pain could exist – but that pain is the only thing that helps cover the omega-shaped hole in his chest.

Even then, he still can’t escape the smell of sunshine. It follows him everywhere he goes, never leaving his heart, or his mind. He swears he can almost taste it on the tip of his tongue. It feels like its right next to him, surrounding him, and yet, it’s just out of his reach.

Two weeks passed by more like two months and ironically, before Ushijima knew it, Tendō was practically breaking down his door. He couldn’t stop prattling on about the courting ball that was taking place in two days. By now, most of the harvests were done, and the only thing left was the late fall crops. But they wouldn’t be ready until late November, just before the frost.

 _“Waka-kun~_. I’ve come to make sure you’re still alive. And to make sure you’ve made a courting gift.” Tendō teases with a wide grin stretched across his face. “Wouldn’t wanna come empty-handed now would ya~?” His lidded eyes silently stare down Ushijima in a playful threat.

It was customary to always come to a courting ball with a homemade gift, after all, that was how courting officially started.

Traditionally, an alpha would present an omega with a homemade gift that resembled themselves. If the omega accepted and asked the alpha to scent the gift, then the courting became official. Mind you, it wasn’t just alpha’s that could present gifts. Betas could also offer their presents to other betas, or omegas, that they wished to court.

Every year Ushijima scoffed at the idea – he wasn’t looking for a mate, so why should he waste his time making a gift? This year, sitting across from Tendō and his inquisitive eyes, Ushijima realizes that seeking out a mate might be the only way for him to try to move on. This was probably the only chance he’d get until next year.

Excluding Mei, the other omegas in this town had no interest in him. This festival gave him the chance to meet omegas and betas from the neighbouring regions.

The small nod Ushijima gives Tendō is enough to wipe the grin off his face. Tendō never thought he’d see the day when Ushijima took an event like this seriously… He’s starting to realize just how much that omega’s rejection must’ve affected him.

Tendō stays the rest of the day making casual small talk and helping Ushijima to gather more firewood, which he can later chop and dry in his shed.

The next day, Ushijima gets to work on his gift. Finding something to represent himself is a lot harder than he’d thought. He’s a simple alpha with a very plain life. Nothing sticks out, so a meaningful gift centred around that, requires a lot of deep thought. Finding a box of scrap leather hides from the previous cull of cattle, Ushijima decides to create a braided bracelet. It’s a bit awkward and rough around the edges, and he wasn’t sure what size to make it, but it does the job. Right now, it’s just a braided strip of leather, but tied around his mate’s wrist it would be a temporary placeholder for his mark.

On the day of the fair, Ushijima gets up extra early to ensure all his animals are properly cared for and won’t need his attention until he returns later that night. Once completed, he makes sure he dresses extra nicely, in hopes of impressing a future mate. Ushijima decides on a black collared shirt, with his sleeves rolled up just past his elbows, and a pair of grey slacks. With his courting gift packed away in his messenger bag, Ushijima makes his way over to the barn where Hinata dutifully waits for him.

On the way to town, Ushijima and Hinata coincidentally met up with Tendō and Kageyama. As per usual, Tendō went on about the happenings in his life and Ushijima silently listened – only ever commenting if he felt it _absolutely_ necessary.

As to be expected, once the horses are stashed away and the pair make it to the fair, Ushijima is on his own. If he had to guess, he’s sure he’d find Tendō either surrounded by a group of omegas, or wherever trouble was occurring. Often, these events were one and the same.

Ushijima much preferred to be alone anyways. He spent most of his day inspecting the cattle and horses, as he was in the market for both. Upon spotting a few good bulls, Ushijima took note of the farms they came from. He’d definitely be by to inquire.

The crops on display are the next thing to hold Ushijima’s interest. A lot of farmers from the nearby regions were starting to experiment with hybrids, and even started growing plants without soil. Ushijima was rendered speechless by the thought. How could crops grow to their fullest potential without fertile soil? Ushijima hated baseless confidence and claims, and yet, here was the proof, _right in front of him_. He could make no argument and give no outward objection – even though he _really_ wanted to.

As far as wares go, the fair had some new tillers on display, but nothing that caught his eye. He ended up purchasing some small garden rakes and shovels that could fit in his bag, along with some mints for Hinata.

In a happy turn of events, Ushijima was able to track down the omega who spoke about fertilizers during the town hall meeting. Unaware of the weight his presence had, he was blatantly forcing the poor omega into a one-sided conversation.

When Ushijima finally left and was out of earshot, the omega collapsed to the floor with a relieved groan. If it were an anime, you might be able to see his soul leaving his body.

Throughout the day, Ushijima saw a lot of new faces – most of them being betas and omegas from other towns. He tried his best to approach them, but when they saw him coming, they either froze in fear or took off in the other direction. Ushijima couldn’t understand what he was doing wrong.

If Tendō were there, he’d surely say that it was his tense posture, furrowed brow, and permanent scowl that kept the omegas away. He would also, _definitely_ , say it had something to do with the menacing strides and blunt tones he consistently used.

The only real interaction he had with an Omega was when he scared her badly enough that she dropped her food at his feet. At first, he couldn’t tell what her second gender was. She must’ve been wearing some sort of scent blocker. It wasn’t uncommon, it just meant he couldn’t really smell anything from her. Nothing except the smell of sunshine anyways. Unfortunately, it wasn’t uncommon for Ushijima to catch this scent, he was constantly surrounded by it. Meaning, he had no reason to believe the female in front of him was the cause of it. 

Although he didn’t know what her second gender was at first, when he reached out to apologize, the set of distressed chirps that left her mouth was distinctly omega. Being too embarrassed by the judgemental looks thrown his way, Ushijima quickly made himself scarce in the crowd after spewing out broken apologies.

The day flew by faster than he thought, and Ushijima had to admit – despite all his failures on the omega front, it was a good day.

As the light started to fade, slowly groups of people started to head over to the local park, just a 10-minute walk away. On his way over, Ushijima popped in to refill Hinata’s water, threw him another flake of hay and rewarded him with a few mints.

Once Ushijima arrived at the park, he could see that the small pond, located in the center, had been dressed up with ‘floating’ lanterns. Even the regular fixtures like the gazebos surrounding the area, the picnic tables, and the trees, had all been decorated by similar light fixtures. The structure in the center of the pond had a live band playing some sort of classical tune, and by the main entrance, there was a line of tables filled with food from the farmers’ harvests. Guests were invited now to mingle, dance, drink and ideally, find their mates.

Ushijima gets along with omegas just about as well as water mixes with oil. To think tonight would somehow change that oil into food colouring had been at best, wishful thinking.

That didn’t stop him from trying though. Putting himself out there, Ushijima made various attempts at small talk – none were successful.

Roughly halfway through the event, Ushijima spots a large crowd. It seems like some sort of catfight between omegas. It wasn’t rare for them to fight, especially over potential mates, but Ushijima could almost _guarantee_ this had something to do with Tendō.

Proving his point, the crowd opens up, and Tendō happily skips out with a large grin on his face. Ushijima just groans. He knows that somehow; he’ll be stuck with the aftermath of Tendō’s mess – he always is.

“Hey friend! Long time no see! How ’ya been, enjoying the party?” Tendō asks playfully poking at Ushijima’s chest with his index finger.

Ushijima just shrugs his shoulders and Tendō sighs. “Any luck with the omega’s?”

Ushijima just replies with another shrug and a simple, “no.”

“Ah, well.” Tendō answers in his signature teasing tone. “There’s no good omegas here anyways. Not even one of them would make a good mate.”

Ushijima doesn’t believe that for a second, but he understands that Tendō’s just trying to make him feel better. Dejected, Ushijima decides to take a breather and heads into the nearby forest. For some reason, he swears the scent of sunshine’s stronger in this direction anyway. Might as well check it out, he justifies before continuing on his walk.

He’s been walking, and following the scent, for maybe 15 minutes when his ears pick up on a soft set of sniffles. Against his better judgement, the alpha in him pushes Ushijima to investigate the sound. In between the trees is a small figure clad in a mid-length dress, sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest.

Ushijima could’ve sworn this area held the source of the sunshine fragrance. But then again, it was really all he could smell these days. His nose was completely out of order and not to be trusted.

Upon closer inspection, Ushijima realizes it’s the same omega that he’d scared just hours earlier. At least now she didn’t have any food in her hands… 

Ushijima debated whether he should say anything. His nature is pushing him to comfort the distressed female, but he clearly remembers how scared she was when he’d initially approached her.

Deciding that retreat was the best option, Ushijima slowly starts to back up. Before he can make it even 5 steps, of course, he steps on a twig. Alerted of his presence, the omega snaps her head up in a panic searching for the source of the noise. When she makes eye contact with the alpha, she lets out a small sigh of relief as recognition flashes over her eyes.

“Oh, it’s you...” Silence passes between the two of them. 

Ushijima can’t say anything, he’s just helplessly lost in her teary gaze.

After a moment, the female quickly turns her head away rubbing at her eyes furiously.

“S-sorry. I’m sorry you have to see me like this. You can leave – I’ll be fine.”

“No,” Ushijima says without context.

“N-no?”

“I’ll walk you home.”

The female breaks out in another round of tears and sniffles out her response.

“I-I can’t.”

To say Ushijima is uncomfortable would be a massive understatement. He has no idea how to comfort anyone, let alone a crying omega. Normally, Ushijima would brush off an interaction like this, but her soft sobs and vulnerable posturing pulled at his heart. His alpha felt the strong need to comfort and protect this small creature – even at the expense of his own comfort.

Ushijima walks in front of the omega, crouching down to try and match her height.

“What’s wrong.” His voice comes out unintentionally demanding.

The female doesn’t answer him. She just continues to sniffle and stare at the ground. Ushijima tries again, this time while pushing out a soft and reassuring purr.

“Why are you out here crying all alone?”

The female looks up to meet his eyes. At such a close distance, Ushijima’s breath hitches for a second. He’d never really thought anyone’s eyes were beautiful before, not until this exact moment. There are no words to describe just how much this omegas glassy eyes are affecting him right now. 

Finally, after a few more minutes the tears start to slow down.

“I was supposed to meet up with my mate… He… He’s an alpha from this town. He has a relatively large build… sharp brown eyes… messy ash blonde hair. I think the tips of his hair are... black? Sorry,” she says quickly. “It’s not like you wanted to know that...” There’s a quiver to her voice as the omega tries to describe what has her so troubled. “We were supposed to be together. It was all planned out...”

Ushijima nods his head, urging the omega to continue.

“I packed up my whole life and gave up everything I had to be with him. My mate was supposed to be waiting for me... But when I got here, I couldn’t find him. Not until the nighttime anyways…” she trails off. Ushijima just continues to urge the omega on with another encouraging nod.

“There were fewer scents, so it was easier… but, when I did find him, he had tons of omegas surrounding him...The things he was saying… the way he was looking at them… it was just too much for me. When I finally built up the courage to approach him, he told me the courtship was off… But it hadn’t even started!” The omega reaches up to angrily rub the tears out of her eyes.

“He only agreed to be my mate so he could close a deal and gain connections through my family. Since he already got what he wanted from them, he threw me aside. What am I supposed to do now? I have nothing. I...I can't go home.” The previous anger slowly leaves her voice. The omega lets out another sniffle before dropping her gaze to the ground.

“There were two beta females that saw the whole thing. When I was alone, I thought they were coming over to comfort me… b-but instead, they chased me into the woods and took my bag. It had all my belongings!” The female was almost in hysterics again.

“I left the crowds to think... but now I’m cold, I’m lost, and I’m scared! I have no money and nowhere to go...” The omega curls even further into herself, tears soaking the fabric of her dress.

Unsure of how to make things better, Ushijima just stares at the small form perched on the ground.

He can’t help but feel a deep rage bubbling in his gut. The vulnerability of this omega spoke directly to his instincts. The more she spoke, the more he subconsciously bonded to her. Slowly, and without his direct awareness, he started to see himself as her alpha, and as her protector, he would do anything to make sure she was never hurt like this again.

Ushijima has a feeling that he knows exactly who this alpha is. If he’s right, that alpha won’t know what's coming to him. The bigger issue is those betas… Ushijima made it his personal mission to find out who they were, and hunt them down. He’d punish everyone involved in harming this little omega.

Ushijima knows that if he were to open his mouth, all that would come out is a nasty snarl and a lifted lip. Not wanting to further traumatize her, Ushijima just reaches his hand out and gently, repetitively strokes her hair. All the while, he focuses on releasing a calming scent and a series of soft purrs.

When the omega calms down, Ushijima finally chooses to speak. “I can’t leave you out here, so you have a few options. I can get you a room in the local tavern for tonight and a train ticket home for tomorrow, I can get you a room and we can look for a job tomorrow, or you can come back with me, stay in my spare room and we can figure out the rest tomorrow. The choice is yours. I won't force your decision.”

When the omega scans his face, she gets no indication of what he’s thinking. It just has the same fierce look it’s had since his arrival.

The omega takes a moment to contemplate her options. She doesn’t like the idea of staying with a strange alpha, but she hates the idea of staying in a strange tavern even more. She would be alone with the strong possibility that someone might try to come after her. There’s no way she can defend herself if those two betas come back, let alone if an alpha were to show up. Still, she doesn’t want to impose.

“I-if you could take me to the tavern…please. I’d like to stay there. I promise to pay you back for all the expenses. I-I’ll find a job and pay you back as soon as I can!”

Ushijima just nods and extends his legs, pushing himself up from his crouching position. The small omega follows his lead. Without words, Ushijima starts walking back towards the park entrance, signalling with his head for the omega to follow. She happily complies, glad to be leaving the scary and confusing woods.

“I love this song.” The omega sniffles under her breath as they finally exit the dense forest. Although most couples have left, the band is still playing at full force. Ushijima looks back at the little omega whose eyes never leave the floor. His heart clenches.

Before the omega can object, Ushijima spins around and places her arms onto his shoulders. With his own hands now on her waist, the omega blushes wildly and nervously glances up to meet his eyes. “W-what are you doing?” She questions – but she doesn’t remove her hands.

Ushijima just shrugs his shoulders with a straight face. “Enjoying the music.”

The two of them settle into a slow, comfortable rhythm. After a few songs pass, the two of them lose track of time completely. Slowly, they work themselves into a deep conversation.

Normally, Ushijima was quiet. He hardly ever spoke, and if he did, it certainly wasn’t this much. Honestly, all this conversation made him feel both uncomfortable, and extremely out of character. But the smile his words brought to the omegas face? It made all his discomfort worth it.

Deep in conversation, they hardly even noticed that they were the last ones there, or that the band had left long ago. What they did notice was the small droplets of rain falling from the sky.

The pair looked at each other in shock. Within seconds, the light rain had turned into a heavy downpour, soaking the two of them before they had the chance to make it to a gazebo for shelter.

For a while, despite being soaked by the rain, the pair was fine. They simply sat in silence and watched the rain come down. It was only when a crack of lightning and the loud boom of thunder filled the sky, that Ushijima noticed that the omega was frozen in place. Eyes wide, she quickly curled in on herself for the second time that night.

She was clearly terrified. The trembling omega sat with her hands over her ears and her eyes squeezed painfully shut. Acting on instinct, Ushijima reached over and lifted the omega, placing her down between his legs. Encountering no resistance, Ushijima wrapped his arms tightly around her shaking form and rested his chin on top of her head.

Every time lightning and thunder would make an appearance, Ushijima made sure to squeeze the omega tighter to his body and run his hands through her hair. Admittedly, Ushijima enjoyed having her soft warm body pressed up against him.

At first, he thought he’d been imagining it, chalking it up to wishful thinking. But the more time passes, the more Ushijima swears he can smell the scent he’s been dreaming about for weeks – for real this time. Not just as a trick of his mind. It was intoxicating. Stronger than anything he’s ever ~~smelt~~ imagined before. Ushijima can’t stop the deep breaths he’s taking.

As he stares down at the trembling omega, with her eyes squeezed shut, a look of realization flashed over his eyes. He slowly brings himself to take a deep breath, _‘accidentally’_ rubbing his nose gently against her scent gland. It’s difficult to notice at first, but it seems like underneath the layers of scent blocker, was the unmistakable scent of summer sunshine. It was as if the gods had finally chosen to reward him. If not for the rain, he never would’ve found the scent he’s been pining for over the past weeks. Now that he’s found it, not some cheap imitation or a fool’s paradise, there was no way he was letting it go.

The combination of Ushijima’s purrs and the gentle strokes through her hair, had lulled the little omega into a gentle sleep. Not wanting to disturb her, once the rain stops, he gently carries the female into town. The trip is over way too soon for his liking.

Standing in front of the tavern, Ushijima softly calls out to her with a soft purr. “Wake up little omega.”

Ushijima watches her swollen eyes pry themselves open before she throws her head up in shock. If not for his fast reflexes, she surely would’ve made direct contact with this nose.

“W- What, where… I…” After taking a second to vigorously scan her surroundings, she realizes where they are. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry! I fell asleep… it’s been a long day” she blushes. “You can put me down now.” Ushijima reluctantly obliges.

Once standing on her own two feet, the soft blush only slightly diminishes from her cheeks. “Thank you for everything alpha, I-”

“Wakatoshi.”

“W-what?”

“My name, It’s Wakatoshi.”

“Oh, right. Thank you for everything Wakatoshi.” The omega says before quickly bowing. Coming back up, she meets his eyes. “My names Y/n. I prefer not to give my last name if that’s alright.”

Ushijima just nods as he too keeps his last name a secret.

Although, she didn’t need to introduce herself; Ushijima already knows who she is. Her scent is unmistakable. But, he lets her humour herself - not revealing that he was already aware of her identity. A small tug pulls at the corner of his lips. 

_“Hello sunshine.”_

“S-sunshine?”

Ushijima just lets out a soft chuckle. 

“Come, let's get you settled in.” He gestures towards the tavern entrance with a flick of his head before the pair make a move for the doors. The omega is just left sputter her words as she chases after the figure. After Ushijima pays for and receives the brass key, the two of them head towards the room Y/n would be staying in.

Ushijima wants nothing more than to stay and watch over the small omega. Better yet, he’d rather just throw her over his shoulder and take her home. But he couldn’t lose her. Ushijima wouldn’t risk doing anything to scare her off, he wanted her to come to him on her own.

Upon reaching their destination, Ushijima unlocks her door and motions for her to enter. Once inside he speaks up.

“I’ll be back tomorrow to check up on you. Together, we’ll come up with a plan.” Ushijima notices her distracted behaviour and pours a little bit of his alpha tone into his words. “Are you listening, _omega_?”

Y/n looks around nervously checking out her surroundings. Her eyes don’t stay focused for more than a second. She only realizes Ushijima had been talking to her when she feels the oppressive command in his voice.

“What? Yes. Yeah, that sounds good. Sorry.” She answers sheepishly while scratching the back of her head. Standing in the doorway, Ushijima motions for her to come to him. “Are you sure you’re alright.” It’s said as more of a statement than as a question.

“Yes, it’s just a little nerve-wracking being all alone… in a strange place… but I'll be fine!” She promises with a tight smile pulling at her lips.

Ushijima just sighs and decides not to press the issue further. Reluctantly, he hands her the key.

“Thanks again, for everything.” Y/n scrunches her face up with a genuine smile of appreciation and quickly bows to the alpha. The scent of happiness rolls off her in soothing waves.

She reaches up to push a strand of hair out of her face. Before she gets the chance, Ushijima can’t stop the way his hands act on their own.

Leaning in, he grabs her wrists, gently rubbing her scent glands. The soft purr she subconsciously releases speaks directly to his alpha. He can’t help the way he puffs up a little.

“Beautiful...” he mutters under his breath before using one of his hands to tuck away the stray strand of hair behind her ear.

All the while, he places a gentle kiss on her forehead before making one last comment.

“Just know, that if you ever change your mind, if you ever want to come back with me, the offer still stands.”

With that, Ushijima releases the omegas wrists and turns to walk away – completely oblivious to the wide-eyed, flustered female he’s left behind. 

The further he gets, the more he can’t help but crave her warmth. If only he could have just one more second – one more glimpse. 

He knows that if he looks back, he won’t be able to leave.

If he looks back, he won’t be able to stop his one hand from making its way into her hair, gripping the back of her head, while the other grips her waist, forcing her into a series of bruising kisses. He won’t be able to stop himself from stripping her bare, devouring her body and worshiping everything she has to offer. Most importantly, he won’t be able to stop himself from claiming his omega, leaving her covered in his marks of passion, love, and possession. He would do all this and more, whether she wanted it or not.

If he looks back, he risks losing it all. 

Ushijima continues to walk away. He knows this is a test, and to win, he has to play the long game. Omegas are soft, timid creatures. They’re sensitive and need a lot of care – he even witnessed that from her tonight, when he found her in the woods. His omega surely was a lot of work – more than he’s ever imagined himself taking on. 

Even so, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do just to be in the presence of sunshine – his sunshine – for just a _little_ longer. He’d wait forever if it meant he could bask in her warmth for the rest of his life. He couldn’t wait to see his gift upon her wrist and his mark upon her neck. The only thing stopping him from forcefully claiming her against the door, was the idea of her willing submission. For now, the braided bracelet resting in his bag would have to wait...

In all his obsession and contemplation Ushijima failed to pick up on the subtle signals his omega was trying to give him. The overly soft scents, nervous, distracted glances, and flustered speech all hinted at the way he made her feel.

If he’d turned around, he would've been able to see her red face and pleading eyes, begging for him to stay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Just a reminder that my dm’s are always open. I love to talk to you guys. :)
> 
> See you in the next one 💕


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